New New Layout for the Bureau?

The suggestion that we get a new layout here at Bureau42 prompted a good deal of discussion. Comments were made about ads. People suggested they really liked the Alien Abduction GreenTM that has become associated with this site. Posters divided into “white on black” and “black on white” camps and held pitched battles (no, not really). Some wanted variable colours and Theme LayoutsTM. Others championed the value of more blank space in a good layout.

While Others Wished Alex Wouldn’t Type Everything in Upper Case.

Yea, there were debates furious over possible codes. And the Jupiter symbol was declared a Good ThingTM

Theangrymob (O blessings light upon his name!) has created another mock-up, which may be found here. New discussion, responses, comments?

16 replies on “New New Layout for the Bureau?”

  1. new layout

    The colour scheme’s a little scary-looking. I like that. Now, about that jovial little Jupiter symbol….

  2. The small things
    I have to agree with the above post, the green does look better. Putting the ad above the title was an improvement. Also the title itself looks alot better than the current title and the “old” new title graphic.

  3. Its better :-)
    Yep, definately an improvement, but there’s still the dreaded white-on-black syndrome going on.

    Keep up the good work guys ;-)

  4. The links are still difficult to read.

    For the love of all that is holy, specify the font sizes in points. If your computer is properly set up, a point is roughly 1/72nd of an inch the world over. A pixel, though, varies in size quite widely: while the new layout is readable on the monitor here at the office, I suspect it would too small to read comfortably on the computer at home, even though both monitors run at the same resolution (1600×1200 — different dpi, though).

    • Re: The links are still difficult to read.

      For the love of all that is holy, specify the font sizes in points. If your computer is properly set up, a point is roughly 1/72nd of an inch the world over. A pixel, though, varies in size quite widely: while the new layout is readable on the monitor here at the office, I suspect it would too small to read comfortably on the computer at home, even though both monitors run at the same resolution (1600×1200 — different dpi, though).

      This is a good point, and I won’t argue. However, there are ways to get a decent text size regardless of how the site is set up. IE has an option under accessibility for “Ignore Font sizes specified on Web pages.” If you check this box, then you can use the browsers own small, medium, large, etc settings to make the text bigger. These accessibility options are also useful for changing colors and fonts, though that does ruin some script-implemented popup boxes, though I don’t think b42 uses any.

      You can also override css with a local style sheet, which I suggested as an option in the last discussion. I can only assume that other browasers have similar functionality.

      • Re: The links are still difficult to read.

        This is a good point, and I won’t argue. However, there are ways to get a decent text size regardless of how the site is set up. IE has an option under accessibility for “Ignore Font sizes specified on Web pages.” If you check this box, then you can use the browsers own small, medium, large, etc settings to make the text bigger. These accessibility options are also useful for changing colors and fonts, though that does ruin some script-implemented popup boxes, though I don’t think b42 uses any.

        You can also override css with a local style sheet, which I suggested as an option in the last discussion. I can only assume that other browasers have similar functionality.

        Those are global settings — they affect every page, and they’re a couple of levels deep in the options panels in either browser I have immediate access to. Similar restrictions to local stylesheets. I should only need that sort of thing to handle specific presentation needs for me. The default configuration should not require me to do something out of the ordinary unless I have unusual, broad-ranging needs or requirements — and then I’d have to do it on my end, anyway.

        Using points instead of pixels really shouldn’t be a major problem. Heh. If everything were down right the first time, those features you mentioned would never be necessary.

  5. As for me and my house…
    … I like it better than the previous one. (I like white on black, then again I’ve used DOS, UNIX etc)

  6. Maybe an exception…
    But I can’t stop seeing the Jupiter logo as “24” (as I mentioned in the prior thread) and it makes me think “this site’s run by dyslexics.” Being dyslexic, myself, this makes me feel at home ;) but what about newcomers?

    • Re: Maybe an exception…

      But I can’t stop seeing the Jupiter logo as “24” (as I mentioned in the prior thread) and it makes me think “this site’s run by dyslexics.” Being dyslexic, myself, this makes me feel at home ;) but what about newcomers?

      I agree, i’ve always seen it as ’24’. If the two was on the other side so the cross from the 4 started the top of the two that might work…

  7. not mocking the mock-ups…
    I prefer this newer mockup in terms of keeping the feel of the site, although the other one might be slightly more readable.

  8. Aw..

    I liked the tan, but I guess I’m in the vast minority there :)

    I really go like it. It’s much more readable and neat. One thing I would suggest is a more stand-out logo. That one is obviously going for a “glow” effect, but to my eyes it just looks kind of blurry. Could I very humbly suggest something more along the lines of this?

    Not THIS specifically (I only spent a couple seconds on it), but you see what I mean. I REALLY liked the logo on the old mockup, by the way; turn that green and make the text stand out a little more and I think it would be terrific.

    Just my two cents, thanks…

    • Re: Aw..

      Could I very humbly suggest something more along the lines of this?

      You may in fact. I may end up just taking a collection and making it random, where you get a new page topper like every ten minutes. Or not. Depends on how lazy I feel whenever all this happens.

  9. There’s green and then there’s GREEN
    The new mock-up is better, but the green lettering is virtually illegible. Use the GLOWING green. Use a different, thicker type font or maybe bold of that one. I like white on black, tho…keep trying, but I for one don’t think you’re existing style is all that bad…

  10. Better than the previous mock up
    I like it. Though, truth to be told, I’m happy with the current steup, and this offers no obvious(to me) improvements. I would be happy with either the current version, or this mock up. The previous mockup was too tan for me.

  11. a note on stylesheets
    If we go with a layout similar to this, note that most of the actual “layout” stuff is all in a stylesheet. I can probably work out, without too much difficulty, a way to have multiple stylesheets, where users can select them at their discretion. All we’ll need then is for those of you that don’t like whatever we come up with to come up with something that you DO like.

    I’d prefer to keep it down to a dozen or so sheets, if that’s alright, but otherwise, go to town. Technical note: The way I’m thinking about doing this, changing your style sheet will probably require cookies. Then again, so does logging in, so it’s not a big deal, I hope.

  12. Insane cApiTaLizatIoN
    “While Others Wished Alex Wouldn’t Type Everything in Upper Case.”

    Well, it would be a simple matter to write a javascript function to remedy
    that situation.

    Could put it as a logged-in option: “Take away Alexius’ SHIT key? on-
    off” : )

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